Ten things I learned about fixing old windows with plexiglass

10. Waiting until November when it is cold and rainy may not be the best time to get all ambitious and patch up windows

9. Boys should not break windows but if they do, you might want to wait until they are out of the house before replacing the windows with glass

8. Measure for your windows before you go to the store and buy the plexiglass and pay the extra few dollars to have the people at the store cut it to size

7. Plexiglass is not easy to cut and generally if you are cutting it yourself you'll want to buy twice as much as you think you need because 50% of the time the cut will not be right or the side you are cutting will shatter

6. Plexiglass does shatter. Especially if you drill it too quickly or score it and have your 7 year old help you hold it when breaking it off. Drilling slowly and being very, very patient is necessary for success.

5. If you choose to cut the plexiglass yourself - think again and refer back to #8.

4. Be prepared to have lots of "extra small pieces" that didn't break right or because you didn't really measure - don't fit anything.

3. Clear caulk is a nice idea but you really want an opaque color that matches your window frame so the glazing points don't show

2. Caulking well is definitely a skill that cannot be acquired in three hours while your hands are half frozen.

1. It will inevitably be the very last glazing point you are putting in the window frame that not only makes you slip the screwdriver into your hand but in doing so you crack the edge of the plexiglass. Thankfully caulk fills gaps:)

**And #0 - although plexiglass on your broken windows may be a good short term solution, you probably want to start saving your money to just tear off the porch and old windows and rebuild it new . . .

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoy the long weekend!

Since we are on a break

I'm going to post some of the many, many, many family photos that never got posted because I've been living in this sort of crazy existence of working, driving, homeschooling, moving, parenting, learning . . . well it's a long list.

So now that I've taken a few things off my plate for awhile I think I should look through the archives and post some photos and say things I haven't said but thought (only the good ones).

These photos are some random ones at the studio . . . I do miss it sometimes and I look forward to getting our home one up and functioning with the same ease as our RF one.

My boys are growing so fast . . . it's hard to believe it:)

Coming into winter - studio sabbatical

It has been a gorgeous November blessing us with warmer than usual days and lots of sunshine; both rare things this time of the year. As we approach Thanksgiving, we have begun our sabbatical from studio portrait work until Spring. I'm enjoying the break to refocus on our family and personal goals. My children especially enjoy the extra time we have to simply relax and enjoy family and friends. I'm looking forward to doing some winter hiking in the afternoons after morning school and challenging myself creatively with my photography and indoor decorating.

And as always, Thanksgiving gets me thinking about being thankful, which honestly can be a challenge sometimes. But the other evening while driving home with the loud din of the three boys coming from the backseat, it occurred to me that it is pretty easy to find things wrong in the world. We live in a fallen world and you don't have to look far for discouragement. And unless you are that very rare sort of optimist who sometimes drives people a little crazy with their enthusiasm, finding the good can take a little more effort.

Which makes it all the more worth looking for. And more rewarding and exciting when you find it. AND once you make a habit of looking for things to be grateful and thankful for, well, you start to begin to see that even in a world full of brokenness, hope exists light a piercing beacon of light in the darkness. For that, I am very thankful:)